Alzheimer's disease
Template:DiseaseDisorder infobox
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Editor(s)-in-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S.,M.D. [1] Phone:617-632-7753; Peter Pressman, M.D. [2], Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Department of Neurology
Dr. Pressman has nothing to disclose.
Synonyms and keywords: AD; Alzheimer disease; senile dementia of the Alzheimer type; SDAT; Alzheimer's
Overview
Historical Perspective
Classification
Pathophysiology
Epidemiology and Demographics
Natural History, Complications and Prognosis
Diagnosis
Treatment
- Medical: Medical Therapy | Prevention | Future or Investigational Therapies | Family and Social Impact
- Surgical: Surgery
Background
Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia.
When a doctor or physician has been notified, and AD is suspected, the diagnosis is usually further supported by behavioral assessments and cognitive tests, often followed by a brain scan if available.[1] Individual prognosis is difficult to assess, as the duration of the disease varies. AD develops for an indeterminate period of time before becoming fully apparent, and it can progress undiagnosed for years. The mean life expectancy following diagnosis is approximately seven years.[2] Fewer than three percent of individuals live more than fourteen years after diagnosis.[3]
Currently-used treatments offer a small symptomatic benefit. No treatments to halt the progression of the disease are yet available. As of 2010, more than 700 clinical trials were investigating possible treatments for AD, but it is unknown if any of them will prove successful.[4] Many measures have been suggested for the prevention of Alzheimer's disease, but the value of these measures is unproven in slowing the course and reducing the severity of the disease. Mental stimulation, exercise, and a balanced diet are often recommended as both a possible prevention and a sensible way of managing the disease.[5]
Because AD cannot be cured, management of patients is essential as the disease progresses. The role of the main caregiver is often taken by a spouse or a close relative.[6] Alzheimer's disease is known for placing a great burden on caregivers; the pressures can be wide-ranging, affecting social, psychological, physical, and economic components of the caregiver's life.[7][8][9] In developed countries, AD is one of the most economically costly diseases to society.[10][11]
References
- ↑ "Alzheimer's diagnosis of AD". Alzheimer's Research Trust. Retrieved 2008-02-29.
- ↑ Mölsä PK, Marttila RJ, Rinne UK (1986). "Survival and cause of death in Alzheimer's disease and multi-infarct dementia". Acta Neurol. Scand. 74 (2): 103–7. PMID 3776457. Unknown parameter
|month=ignored (help);|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ↑ Mölsä PK, Marttila RJ, Rinne UK (1995). "Long-term survival and predictors of mortality in Alzheimer's disease and multi-infarct dementia". Acta Neurol. Scand. 91 (3): 159–64. PMID 7793228. Unknown parameter
|month=ignored (help) - ↑ "Alzheimer's Disease Clinical Trials". US National Institutes of Health. Retrieved 2008-08-18.
- ↑ "Can Alzheimer's disease be prevented" (pdf). National Institute on Aging. 2006-08-29. Retrieved 2008-02-29.
- ↑ "The MetLife study of Alzheimer's disease: The caregiving experience" (PDF). MetLife Mature Market Institute. 2006. Retrieved 2008-02-12. Unknown parameter
|month=ignored (help) - ↑ Thompson CA, Spilsbury K, Hall J, Birks Y, Barnes C, Adamson J (2007). "Systematic review of information and support interventions for caregivers of people with dementia". BMC Geriatr. 7: 18. doi:10.1186/1471-2318-7-18. PMC 1951962. PMID 17662119.
- ↑ Schneider J, Murray J, Banerjee S, Mann A (1999). "EUROCARE: a cross-national study of co-resident spouse carers for people with Alzheimer's disease: I—Factors associated with carer burden". International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. 14 (8): 651–661. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1099-1166(199908)14:8<651::AID-GPS992>3.0.CO;2-B. PMID 10489656. Unknown parameter
|month=ignored (help);|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ↑ Murray J, Schneider J, Banerjee S, Mann A (1999). "EUROCARE: a cross-national study of co-resident spouse carers for people with Alzheimer's disease: II--A qualitative analysis of the experience of caregiving". International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. 14 (8): 662–667. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1099-1166(199908)14:8<662::AID-GPS993>3.0.CO;2-4. PMID 10489657. Unknown parameter
|month=ignored (help) - ↑ Bonin-Guillaume S, Zekry D, Giacobini E, Gold G, Michel JP (2005). "Impact économique de la démence (English: The economical impact of dementia)". Presse Med (in French). 34 (1): 35–41. ISSN 0755-4982. PMID 15685097. Unknown parameter
|month=ignored (help) - ↑ Meek PD, McKeithan K, Schumock GT (1998). "Economic considerations in Alzheimer's disease". Pharmacotherapy. 18 (2 Pt 2): 68–73, discussion 79–82. PMID 9543467.